Signs and Symptoms
Most Do Not Have Symptoms
You may not notice any symptoms if you have a peripheral aneurysm, particularly if it is a small one. Two out of every three patients with a peripheral aneurysm do not notice anything unusual.
Symptoms May Vary
However, if you are among the minority who have a symptomatic peripheral aneurysm, the symptoms may vary, depending on the location and size of your aneurysm.
Symptoms of a peripheral aneurysm may include:
- A pulsating lump that you can feel in your neck, arm or leg.
- Leg or arm pain, or cramping, with exercise.
- Leg or arm pain at rest.
- Painful sores on toes or fingers.
- Radiating pain or numbness in your arm or leg, caused by nerve compression.
- Numbness or weakness on one side of your face or body.
- Gangrene, or dead tissue, which results from a severe blockage in the artery in a limb.
Carotid Artery Aneurysm Symptoms
If the carotid artery is affected, the symptoms can include transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or stroke. A TIA occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is briefly interrupted.
TIA symptoms, which usually occur suddenly, are similar to those of stroke but do not last as long. Most symptoms of a TIA disappear within an hour, although they may persist for up to 24 hours:
- Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Confusion or difficulty in talking or understanding speech
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Difficulty with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination.
